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Federal Bureau of Control
"For centuries, our elite organization has kept the public safe from unseen forces. Our mission is to expand the limits of human understanding and contain those elements we cannot yet control. Join us to enter the hallowed halls of the Oldest House and take your place among the ranks of silent heros." ''- Zachariah Trench, former director of the Bureau The '''Federal Bureau of Control '(FBC, or simply the Bureau) are a secretive United States government organization and a central element of Control's world. They are responsible for keeping the public safe from unexplainable (i.e. supernatural) phenomena, while furthering human understanding of said phenomena. To that end, the organization will capture and contain instances of Altered Items or Objects of Power to prevent Altered World Events. Their headquarters is the Oldest House, located in Manhattan, New York, NY. Jesse Faden is the current director of the FBC, having gained the position via an unknown ritualistic process. The position was previously held by Zachariah Trench. History It is unknown when the Federal Bureau of Control was originally formed, why it was formed, or whether they preceded the formation of the United States of America. For centuries, the FBC has taken on the role of protecting the U.S. and possibly the entire world from elements which cannot be explained, such as Altered World Events. At some point, the Oldest House, a supernatural location in New York City, became the FBC's headquarters; it is unknown when the Oldest House was built or whether it was always intended as the Bureau's headquarters. Zachariah Trench was eventually appointed Director of the FBC. In part due to the Bureau's methodologies of containment and study, their infrastructure eventually collapsed and the Oldest House was invaded by a hostile otherworldly force known only as the Hiss, killing Director Trench. Jesse Faden, a young woman with past experience in the supernatural, became the Director at this time as a result of an unknown ritual, and began to restore order to the Oldest House by fighting back against the forces of the Hiss. Purpose & Goals The ultimate motivations of the Bureau are not known. According to Director Trench, their ostensible goal is to expand the limits of human understanding and contain elements that cannot yet be controlled by humans, including forces which lie outside of current scientific understanding. The FBC studies a broad range of objects and phenomena, including Altered Items, research of rituals, "dream logic," and various forces originating from other realms or dimensions, such as the Hiss. The Bureau actively seeks out instances of unexplainable phenomena around the world, which they will relocate to the Oldest House in order to study, contain, and ultimately control and manipulate to their own ends. It is not known why the Bureau seeks to control supernatural phenomena, or what their intentions are once such control is gained over these elements. It has been stated that the FBC is morally ambiguous and sometimes "downright amoral" in its methods and goals. The FBC is a scientific organization, and seeks control over supernatural phenomena using scientific and empirical methods. However, these methods may not always apply, as many supernatural phenomena are not bound by traditional laws of causality, but rather by synchronistic connections of meaning. Many of these connections are based on emotion and symbolism, making sense intuitively even if logically they should not. Rituals are processes which the FBC has discovered which represent reproducible conditions that can alter reality in certain ways, akin to mystical or occult magic. The FBC attempts to use these rituals to control and manipulate supernatural forces, some of which may not be controllable. The FBC has also researched various forms of protection from supernatural phenomena, including combinations of science and ritualism that shield employees. The FBC's methodologies are highly objective, empirical, and rational, focused on reducing unxplainable phenomena to ruled and defined primitives. This philosophy and approach to the supernatural contributed heavily to the eventual collapse of the Bureau's infrastructure and the invasion of the Hiss. Jesse Faden assuming the role of Director was the beginning of a new direction for the Bureau, focusing more on the intuitive and emotional nature of supernatural elements. Trivia * The Federal Bureau of Control is partly inspired by the SCP Foundation, a collaborative writing project revolving around an eponymous organization who are also responsible for containing supernatural phenomena. * An Easter egg in the video game Quantum Break ''(a title by ''Control developer Remedy Entertainment) mentions a "Bureau of Altered World Events" associated with alterations in the causal flow of time. This organization is said to have had ties with Monarch Solutions, the antagonist organization of Quantum Break. Category:Organizations